The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus and a toner case installed therein.
An image forming apparatus, such as an electrostatic copying machine, a laser printer or an electrostatic facsimile, carries out the development process by supplying a toner (a developer) from a development device to an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of a photosensitive drum or the like. The toner used in such development process is supplied from a toner case, such as a toner container or an intermediate hopper, to the development device.
In the image forming apparatus, by repeatedly carrying out the above-mentioned development process, the toner in the toner case accordingly decreases, and then, when the toner in the toner case runs out, the toner case is replaced. Therefore, the toner case is detachably installed to an installed part provided in the image forming apparatus.
In order to improve operability for installing and detaching the toner case to the image forming apparatus and force for holding the toner case in the image forming apparatus, various different structures are designed so far. For example, one image forming apparatus provided with an installed part, a fixing member and a biasing member is disclosed. To the installed part, a toner case is detachably installed. The fixing member is arranged to move in an axial direction accompanying to the installing action of the toner case to the installed part. The biasing member is arranged to bias the fixing member to one side in the axial direction. In such technique, by making the toner case press an inclined face formed on the fixing member, the fixing member moves to another side in the axial direction against the biasing force of the biasing member. Then, when the bottom face of the toner case is released from the fixing member, the toner case is stopped in an engaged state by the fixing member by biasing force of the biasing member.
However, in the above-mentioned structure, it is necessary to continue pressing the toner case to the installed part side against the biasing force of the biasing member until the toner case is stopped in an engaged state by the fixing member after the toner case comes into contact with the fixing member. Therefore, a working load of workers, such as a user or a serviceman, undertaking installation/detachment work of the toner case is increased.